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The INDEPENDENT, December 21, 2011
Senior Center News
With Christmas and New Year’s day reminding us of
our blessings during this past year, the Vernonia Se-
nior Center wishes to thank all those who have helped
with programs for our senior citizens, and those who
have brought vitality and joy to our lives.
We wish you a very merry Christmas and a happy
New Year!
Vernonia Senior Citizens Center: 446 Bridge Street
Hours: Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thrift Shop Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Phone: 503-429-3912
Lion’s Club delivers raffled wood
CASA for Kids, Inc. announces grant
CASA for Kids, Inc. has re-
ceived an $11,000 Community
Grant from The Oregon Com-
munity Foundation to build or-
ganizational capacity to advo-
cate for abused and neglected
children in Columbia County.
The mission of CASA for
Kids is to ensure that all chil-
dren in foster care can grow up
in a safe, permanent home.
The organization recruits,
screens, trains and supervises
volunteer Court Appointed
Special Advocates (CASAs)
who work in the best interests
of the children.
“Foster children need more
help than the system can pro-
vide,” said CASA for Kids exec-
utive director Kathryn Bourn. “A
child with a CASA has the best
chance of success.”
The grant funds will enable
CASA for Kids to expand its
staff to supervise more CASAs,
Bourn said. Eight new CASAs
just completed training and
have been sworn in to take
cases. The new CASAs are:
Scott Kelly, Janelle Jaha
Adams, Kristen Hinze, Becky
Hamshar, Melissa Campos,
and Shelly Thompson, all of St.
Helens, Jean Hoffman of Deer
Island, and Tami Kemp of War-
ren. The new CASAs are en-
abling the Columbia County
program to serve 21 more fos-
ter children, Bourn said.
“We still have a tremendous
need for more CASAs,” Bourn
said. “In November alone, 15
children in Columbia County
went into foster care.” The or-
ganization currently is recruit-
ing volunteers for its February
2012 class. The OCF grant
funds will enable CASA for Kids
to continue to train and support
new CASAs.
For more information, see
www.casaforkidsinc.org or call
503-366-4133.
Judge Shera-Taylor gives resignation
Diana Shera-Taylor, a Co-
lumbia County Municipal Court
Judge has announced her res-
ignation effective December
31. “The time has come for me
to stretch my wings and pursue
new challenges,” said Taylor of
her decision.
Taylor, a judge for 15 years,
has served in St. Helens for the
past seven years and Scap-
poose for nine years.
She intends to continue with
mediation and arbitration
through her business, Taylor
Dispute Resolution, at 203 S.
First Street in St. Helens. Tay-
lor said the business has been
growing, and eating into her
time on the bench.
Taylor will also continue to
work with Columbia County
Consortium, which helps serve
children who have been re-
moved from their homes as a
result of neglect or abuse.
CCCF director honored by NWRESD
Recipients of Lions Club firewood raffle, Matt and Katie Po-
etter, with Lions’ members Allen Marshall, Brenda Gooch,
Terry Schaumberg, Ken Pitts (and Needlenose), at delivery of
the wood. Photo by Randal Harvey
The winner of a cord of
wood, raffled by the Vernonia
Lions at the Christmas Bazaar,
was Randy Parrow, who then
gave the wood to his daughter
and son-in-law, Katie and Matt
Poetter. Lions Club members
Allen Marshall, Terry Schaum-
berg, Brenda Good, Ken Pitts,
Thomas Sherman, Randal Har-
vey and Vince Aszman, with
helper Jack Harvey, delivered,
chopped and stacked the
wood. Schaumberg donated
the wood for the raffle, which
was delivered on Saturday, De-
cember 10.
T he 6th annual
Christm as Dinner
Turkey, Ham, All the Trimmings,
Plus Dessert and Beverage.
December 25, 1-4 p.m.
Vernonia Senior Center
Dinner is free to families
and friends in Vernonia
We will also have Dinners to go
Gratuities or donations not accepted
Happily Provided by The James Gang
Jan Spika-Kenna, director of
the Columbia County Commis-
sion on Children & Families,
was honored last month with
the 2011-2012 Partner in Edu-
cation award from the North-
west Regional Education Ser-
vice District (NWRESD).
“Jan has been a wonderful
advocate for children and fami-
lies in Columbia County. She is
the hub of the wheel, the wheel
being the many agencies in
Columbia County that work
with children and families,” said
Laney Coulter, of the NWRESD
Columbia Service Center.
“She understands…how we
operate and what our needs
are, and works tirelessly to help
us meet those needs. The
school districts in Columbia
County are very appreciative of
the work she does for our chil-
dren and want to recognize her
Happy
Holidays
with this award,” Coulter con-
cluded.
The “work of the Commis-
sion is successful,” Spika-Ken-
na said, “because of the Com-
mission members’ dedication
to serving children’s and fami-
lies’ needs, and the support of
my staff and the County Board
of Commissioners.”
The 20 member Commis-
sion has maintained its com-
mitment to supporting children
and their families through ad-
vocacy projects and program
funding. In addition to Healthy
Start, CASA, the Teen and
Family Transition and Skills
Trainer programs, this year, the
Commission funded short term
services. Funds for these proj-
ects impact literacy, child safe-
ty, school success, violence
prevention,
nutrition
and
health.
These services include the
Vernonia School District Sum-
mer Books and Swim pro-
grams, 4-H Spring Break Day
Camp, St. Helens Police De-
partment Bike Helmet Educa-
tion, Clatskanie Elementary Af-
ter School program, Columbia
Community Mental Health
Mentors, Healthy Start Child In-
jury Prevention, Rainier Hud-
son Park Elementary After
School and 2nd Step pro-
grams, 4-H Run Girl Run pro-
gram at St. Helens Lewis and
Clark Elementary, St. Helens
McBride Elementary Parent-
Child Book Club, Snoopeeland
Reading for Healthy Families,
St. Helens Library Our Com-
munity Reads, Big Rig event
and books for Head Start, Child
Care Resource and Referral lit-
eracy.
Each December, the Com-
mission also gives 50 Holiday
Book Bags filled with donated
items that encourage children
to read, to the state Depart-
ment of Human Services, in St.
Helens, for their clients. In ad-
dition to the items in the bags,
parents are able to choose sev-
eral new books for each of their
children. This event is possible
through generous book dona-
tions from the St. Helens Kiwa-
nis Club and private individu-
als.
In addition to the December
event, the Commission do-
nates books throughout the
year county-wide. If you would
like to donate new or gently
used books for children of all
ages, please contact the Com-
mission on Children and Fami-
lies at 503-397-7211.